Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the hugely popular Call of Duty video game series, has died in a car crash in California at the age of 55.

The tragic news was confirmed by Electronic Arts (EA), owners of Respawn Entertainment, the game studio Zampella co-founded. The incident occurred on Sunday on a highway in Los Angeles when the Ferrari he was travelling in crashed and subsequently caught fire.

“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work,” an EA spokesperson told the BBC.

According to officials from the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle “for unknown reasons, veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed.” The passenger was ejected from the vehicle, while Zampella was reportedly trapped inside. Sadly, both occupants died at the scene.

Zampella first rose to prominence in 2003 when he, alongside Jason West and Grant Collier, created Call of Duty. The game, partly inspired by World War II events, went on to become a global phenomenon, selling over 500 million copies and establishing Activision, now owned by Microsoft, as a leading gaming company. A live-action film adaptation of the franchise is also in the works.

However, Call of Duty was just one of Zampella’s successes. He also played a key role in the development of other popular titles including Medal of Honor, Titanfall, and Apex Legends.

Geoff Keighley, a journalist and host of The Game Awards, described Zampella as a “dear friend” and a “visionary executive” who “never wavered in his commitment to honesty and transparency” in a post on X. “While he created some of the most influential games of our time, I always felt he still had his greatest one ahead of him,” Keighley added. “It’s heartbreaking that we’ll never get to play it.”

Keza MacDonald, the Guardian’s video games editor, told BBC Newshour, “He really cared about the player experience. He cared about making games, he cared about how people felt when they played and that really came across whenever you spoke to him.”

YouTuber MrRoflWaffles, who boasts over 2.4 million subscribers on his channel dedicated to Call of Duty content, credited Zampella with inspiring “a whole generation,” including himself. “You talk about the Mount Rushmore of gaming – he’s absolutely staple on that list of people,” he told BBC Newsbeat.

Zampella’s career wasn’t without its challenges. In 2010, he and West were dismissed from Activision, leading to a protracted legal battle that was eventually settled out of court in 2012. Later, at Electronic Arts, he contributed to the development of Battlefield 6, a competitor to the Call of Duty franchise.

Infinity Ward, the company behind Call of Duty, released a statement on X saying Zampella “will always have a special place in our history.” “Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable,” the statement read.

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